Hi Andrew, People are interesting aren't they? Even though they are paying money to get a career changing education they can be easily sidetracked by environmental issues. To create the learning community we educators want each time our classes meet, we must take the environmental issues out of the picture. By surveying the classroom or laboratory prior to the class meeting and making sure it is set up properly, clean, and ready for students, then you can make yourself ready to teach. By having your handouts, assignments, and lab supplies organized and displayed the students can see you are ready to teach and they should be ready to learn. It is all a part of the model, manager, motivator aspects of effective instruction. Gary